Ann Morrison, Ph.D.
Mar 26, 2015
Ann Morrison, Ph.D.
How would you describe each of the following types of comprehension?Reading comprehensionLanguage comprehensionSocial comprehension
What components do each of these have in common?
What is required for someone to “comprehend”?
Sadoski (1983, 1985) demonstrated that upper grade elementary students, who report using imagery without being instructed to do so, are more likely to understand complex relationships in text. Students can be taught to create mental images using explicit guided practice (Pressley 1976).
Morrison, 7.21.11
Describe the
following picture
to your partner
so that they can
develop a mental
image of it. Use
as many
descriptive
words as
possible.
Describe the
following picture
to your partner
so that they can
develop a mental
image of it. Use
as many
descriptive
words as
possible.
ColorsNumbersRelative or absolute sizeRelative or absolute direction or location
“in front of” or “behind”“above” or “below”“to the right” or “…left”
Link to common prior experience or knowledge
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What a child already knows; schemaWhy activate it? Because it “primes” the neural pathways related to that knowledge or skill and gets them “warmed up” to learn something new that is related to what they already know (like stretching before a run)Because it helps students find a “place” to store new understandings which helps them retrieve the new knowledge at a later date (like filing)
Mental representations
CodingProcessingLogogensImagensSynchronousAsynchronous
Referential processing
Associative processing
Representational processing
Morrison, 7.21.11
Look at the graphic on page 53
On the graphic, describe the task of each of the mechanisms of DCT
Discuss where you see examples of DCT being applied in classrooms
Refer to the Associative Structures in both the Verbal and Nonverbal Systems
How do the associative structures work to support comprehension?
Where do you see examples of associative structures in learning?
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Merriam Webster Visual Dictionary:http://visual.merriam-webster.com/
Merriam Webster Word Central:http://www.wordcentral.com/
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1. Help students create language representing illustrations
2. Teach the student how to “read” a picture. 1. Notice the characters2. Notice the setting3. Notice the action4. Notice the details
3. Teach them to use numbers, colors, directionality4. Model how to “read” a picture5. Take the picture away and tell the student what you
remember about it6. Then look at the picture together and compare what
you said against what was in the illustration
Show the student a pictureHigh scaffolding:
Have them describe the picture in words while looking at it
Have them describe the picture in writing while looking at it
Low scaffolding:Have them describe the picture in words after you
take it awayHave them describe the picture in writing after you
take it awayShow the student the picture and compare their
description to the pictureMorrison, 7.21.11
Activate Background KnowledgePreview the LessonToday, I am going to teach you how to turn
pictures into words.Explicit InstructionPictures have words that describe them. Here
is a picture of a ____. When I see a picture, my mind automatically finds a word that describes that picture
ModelingFor example, when I look at this picture, I see a
man. Not only do I see the man, I also notice things about him. I look at his picture, and automatically my brain thinks about the words that go with the picture. When I look at the man’s clothing, I see …. When I look at what the man is doing, I see… When I look at the background, I see…
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Guided practiceNow you try it…
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ModelingRead a sentence to the student and place the
text of the sentence in front of the student. Begin with a relatively simple sentence like:
A boy sat on a bench and ate an ice cream cone.
Give the student a piece of paper and markers. Have the student draw the sentence.
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If I say the word ____ I see a picture of a ____ in my head, even if I don’t have the picture in front of me.
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1. Tell the student to try to picture what is going on in the sentence in their mind
2. Have the student illustrate the picture they have in their mind without listening to the sentence again
3. Read the sentence to the student again. As you do so, have them check to see if all of the details of the sentence are included in their illustration.
Morrison, 7.21.11
When I opened the door on the left, I got a little bit scared because there was one of those adjustable desk lamps with a long neck that made it look like a bird about to attack. I put the light on though, and the room was a huge bore. The ceiling slanted on the far side, and there was only one window. It was okay if you wanted to keep somebody as the Prisoner of Zenda, but it looked like a rotten place to work. All it had was this big desk made by taking a thick piece of plywood and laying it over two wooden horses, and a bookcase with blueprints and stuff in it, and a big oscilloscope, with its guts hanging out, in the corner. There were three old TV sets too, but they looked like they didn’t even work.